Exercising in the Heat

Summer is here. We all want to have those great bikini or board short bodies, but a lot of us exercise outside and it gets hot in the summer. So what should we do?

Well, let’s learn about what happens to us when exercising in the heat. When running in hotter weather (when the temperature is above 75 degrees Farenheight), our bodies spend about 70% of the energy that they normally would be using towards our workout to just cool down. Only 30% goes to moving our arms and legs and breathing. What’s more, the heat, humidity, and UV rays all have a negative effect on us because we aren’t used to putting our bodies to work in such harsh environments. The heat makes us sweat, the humidity doesn’t allow our cooling processes to occur as effectively, and UV rays burn our skin which makes our core temperature higher.

But the good news is that after 1-2 weeks of working out in hotter weather, your body starts to acclimate. John Woo, M.D., a clinical associate professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine says, “Your body will expect circulating plasma volume and become more efficient in sweating, and, psychologically, you just start dealing with the heat better.” To help this process occur safely, start out by cutting your workout in the heat in half and add 5% every day or 10% every couple of days or so. You can even finish the rest of your workout inside (do core work, lift weights, do a yoga routine) until you get back up to 100% of your workout in the heat. Other things you should be doing to help this process occur safely are: drink 8 glasses of water throughout the day, make sure to get enough electrolytes, and use sunscreen.

If you follow these simple steps to working out in the heat, your body will thank you. To learn more about the body and effects of water on the body, check out our other blog posts or visit our website (www.filtercon.com) to learn about why it’s important to filter your water at home.

Source:

What Running in the Heat Does to Your Body. SHAPE Fitness. 7 July 2015. http://www.shape.com/fitness/cardio/what-running-heat-does-your-body